Technically Obsolete: Kazakhstan Phases Out Soviet Legacy

Kazakhstan has officially abandoned the Soviet-era geodetic coordinate system, replacing it with a modern, homegrown alternative, Orda.kz reports.

Following a recommendation from the Supreme Audit Chamber, the country has developed its own geodetic coordinate system to meet contemporary standards.

Officials explained that the previous system, inherited from the USSR, was no longer suitable for modern needs.

A state audit on land management, geodesy, and cartography found that Kazakhstan lacked its own geodetic coordinate system, making it difficult to establish a unified digital cartographic ecosystem. At the time of the audit, the country still used coordinates, elevation data, gravimetric, and satellite measurements developed in the mid-20th century. Today, this system is both technically and functionally obsolete,the department stated. 

To address this issue, the Ministry of Digital Development created a new geodetic system, QazTRF-23, officially launched on January 1, 2025.

The transition to QazTRF-23 will dramatically improve the accuracy of geodetic measurements, opening up broad prospects for the state in the field of territorial planning, construction, and the creation of modern data management systems,  the Supreme Audit Chamber added.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin